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[LONG] Lunch at Lavinia in Paris with Sharon Bowman
The back story: When I had assembled my plans for a business trip to
England and France, I realized that there was a Monday in London going unfilled by business, so what better use to make of it than to Eurostar over to Paris for an afternoon of vinous fun with Internet wine blog phenom Sharon Bowman? Sharon proved agreeable (a theme repeated throughout the day), so the plan was set. Alas, Eurostar proved to be the weak link, as a delay in transit scotched our plans to lunch at Willi's, where Granite du Clisson was served BTG, but Sharon resourcefully relocated the lunch to Lavinia's palais du vin on the Rue Madeleine, and so it went: 2006 Stéphane Tissot Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Les Argiles du Lias The deal at Lavinia is to order food upstairs, then proceed downstairs to the retail space to find the wine. I'd ordered a tomato-based gaspacho and an eggplant dish wrapped around a cheese filling while sharon got a bacon-and-egg dish (fascinating) and another small plate that I forgot. Although Sharon was graciously deferring to me on the choice, and I was hopelessly dithering, the decision was made when I entered the Jura section. After years of reading Flordia Jim Cowan's paeans to Tissot's Chardonnays, I selected one to try. What a unique rendition of Chardonnay! In texture, it combines the linearity of Chablis with the richness of Burgundy, while altogether different from either, not to mention worlds away from CA. With minerality and fruit, perhaps the only off note was the sense of alcohol, despite the stated 13.5% ABV. Subjectively, at the end of lunch, I was convinced that it was more than the stated ABV. 2006 René Mosse Anjou "Le Coin d'Hyrome" It's a sign of my slight inebriation from lunch that I let Siren Sharon talk me into loitering around the Enomatics on the ground floor for some more sipping without spitting. This is probably the best use of Enomatics that I've yet seen, maybe because there are some interesting wines inside. I felt that this wine was slightly muted on the nose, with perhaps a hint of oxidative character. It was big, with slightly oxidative notes and perceptible RS, but not one of my favorite renditions of Chenin. Maybe I've been drinking too much Huet, or maybe it's the vintage showing its presence, but I'm not moved. 2006 Chassorney Saint-Romain Combe Bazin white Quite spicy in the nose, with some citrus and a buttery hint of ML. Lean and clean with plenty of fruit and that ML note in the finish. Another winner Chardonnay. 2007 Chapoutier Saint-Joseph Les Mûres white What is this? White flowers and minerality that is straight out of the Pinot Blanc playbook (and, as an aside, I have on more than one occasion found similar characteristics in Sauvignon). Acidic and lean, with modest fruit, it still seems like PB. Altogether weird (but pleasant) rendition of St. Joseph blanc. 2005 Jaboulet Hermitage "Chevalier de Sterimberg" Here we go with typicity. Wax and butterscotch in the nose to me. Like most Marsannes, this wine is too big and floppy for my tastes, but it'd be more interesting I'm certain with a decade in the cellar. Sharon then even volunteered to accompany me to Caves Augé, one of my favorite places to shop for wines, and we spent a thoroughly enjoyable 20 minutes or so perusing their selection before my impending departure forced me to bring the visit to a close and repair back to London with my newly-acquired treasures, an '04 Viré Clessé from Dom. Valette and an '04 Jacquère from Duspasquier on the strength of Sharon's enthusiastic endorsements and an '05 Brouilly from the right Descombes and an '06 Morgon from a producer unknown to both us (Joseph Chamonard) but which the very reliable guy behind the counter gave his imprimatur to. Overall, a very enjoyable, if wine-besotted, afternoon spent in Paris on a glorious October afternoon with an enjoyable Franco-American ex-pat. Lavinia is an interesting place to lunch, with very good food and a fine selection of interesting wines. Lavinia bought Caves Augé, so the buyer for the latter (Marc Sibard) now advises Lavinia on wine purchases. However, there is a significant price differential between the two stores, so one is usually better off getting the wine at Augé if at all possible. Your intrepid reporter, Mark Lipton -- alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net |
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